Living in a Backward, Backwoods State for All My Adult Life!

With the exception of 2 years (1980-1982), I have lived in Idaho my whole adult life.  I have witnessed this state going politically from tolerable to bad to worse. From the days when Cecil Andrus was governor (a centrist almost left leaning Democrat) in the 70's to today's embarrassment of a governor, Butch Otter.  From the great Frank Church to the embarrassment of Jim Risch.  From Richard Stallings to Raul Labrador.  Help me, Jesus.  One could liken spending my adult years in Idaho to the frog in the boiling water, just didn't quite notice the changing political climate until it was too late. When I first came to Idaho in 1972, there was a man named Willie Ludlow who ran for Congress.  He was a lefty of the extreme kind.  Just my kind of political person.  I voted for Shirley Chishom in the '72 caucus right there in Pocatello, Idaho.  Anyway, it's a sad state of affairs when Idaho is kind of the barometer of the political climate of the rest of the country.  We have fallen just that low. 

 Anyway,  all that being said, today marks the first day when LBGT people can get married just like everyone else right here in River City.  And it is because of the courage and perseverance of a group of women who wanted the right to marry and went to court to make it happen.  It certainly didn't happen because the state suddenly found it's heart and it's misplaced sense of justice and good sense. Otter would have fought to the end of time if it wasn't for the fact that he needed to get busy on his millionth run for his office and being the stalwart defender of "traditional marriage" didn't turn out to be the political lynchpin he had hoped it to be.  No, it happened because four same sex couples made it happen. And because it is right.  So what that confirms for me is that when people band together, wondrous things can occur, even in the worst of political climates.  Those women inspire me. Although I do wish that making what is right happen didn't always take such courage and stamina and guts and fight.  We really will overcome someday.